Computational Brain Imaging:
Beyond Modern Phrenology
A post-NIPSworkshop
Purpose
The goal of this workshop is to explore how functional brain imaging research can benefit from a quantitative, rather than qualitative approach to experimental design and data analysis.
The majority of functional MRI (fMRI) studies employ a localizationist approach, which attempts to locate specific brain centers associated with various perceptual, motor, and cognitive functions. Typically, results are shown as thresholded statistical parameter maps (such as Z-score maps) which show the foci of "brain centers" associated with a specific stimulus or task. It has been noted, however (Wandell, 1999), that the increase in signal-to-noise ratio with the advent of more advanced imaging technology can only increase the number of brain regions that are activated above a given significance threshold, thus making the notion of a "cognitive brain center" untenable.
In contrast, recent approaches are exploiting the continuous, quantitative nature of the raw fMRI signal to detect subtle covariations between the fMRI signal and various stimulus parameters. Several groups are now employing this quantitative approach by exploring the mapping between the fMRI signal and parameters such as position in the visual field (mapping retinotopy), stimulus strength and duration, and the behavioral performance of psychophysical tasks.
The proposed workshop will address issues related to the relationship between the underlying neuronal response and the fMRI signal. This topic is timely; functional MRI is nearing its 10-year anniversary, and fMRI research can no longer rely on the novelty of the technique. It is time to take advantage of recent technological and theoretical advances to move beyond basic localization studies and toward quantitative studies of brain function.
Length: One day
Format: Speaker presentations will be combined with discussions. A lecture will be given during the first half of each hour, and a half-hour discussion will follow. In cases when more than one speaker will present within an hour, a series of short presentations will be followed by a panel discussion.
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Schedule
AM
7:30 - 7:45 Introduction by organizers  
7:45 - 8:15 Analysis of fMRI data from block design experiments Geoffrey Boynton,Salk Institute
8:15 - 8:45 Pushing the temporal boundaries of event-related fMRI Randy Buckner, Washington University
8:45 - 9:00 Coffee break  
9:00 - 9:30 Identifying subpopulations of neurons within human cortical areas using fMRI Steven Engel, UCLA
9:30 - 10:00 Population-based models as a bridge between behavioral performance and the fMRI signal Giedrius Burachas, Salk Institute
10:00 - 10:30 Computational neuroimaging: motion and color experiments Brian Wandell, Stanford University
10:30 -11:00 Discussion  

PM
 
4:30 - 5:00 Reproducibility, generalization error and bayesian averaging in fMRI Lars Hansen, Technical University, Denmark
5:00 - 5:30 Latent structure analysis and bootstraping as an alternative to parametric inferential models Benjamin Martin Bly, Rutgers University
5:30 - 6:00 Monkey fMRI Lisa Stefanacci, UCSD
6:00 - 6:30 Single-trial ERPs during continuous fMRI scanning Tzzy-Ping Jung, Salk Institute
6:30 - 7:00 General discussion  

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Venue
The workshop will take place on December 4 (Sat), 1999 at the Great Divide hotel in Breckenridge, Colorado.  Registration information is here. The details on the workshop venue, accommodations, and transportation can be found here.
Organizers
Please contact either Geoff Boynton (boynton@salk.edu) or Giedrius Buracas (giedrius@salk.edu) regarding this workshop.
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